1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to simulation systems and more particularly to a modular system architecture for controlling and monitoring a plurality of simulated vehicles.
2. Discussion
Many industries, particularly the automotive industry, rely on data obtained from simulation systems to reduce cycle times for designing products as well as design and development costs. In the context of automotive design, simulation systems are frequently employed to provide a vehicle manufacturer with data on numerous vehicle configurations, permitting the vehicle manufacturer to select a given design without expending the cost and time associated with the development of prototype components.
Despite the advantages of the prior art systems, several drawbacks have been noted. In particular, the architecture of many of these systems is rather rigid, rendering it extremely difficult to adapt the system to a requisite degree of complexity. For example, several simulation systems are based on relatively simple criteria which typically permit the behavior of a simulated body, particularly those that are not directly controlled by a human, to be developed with minimal programming effort. While such systems are particularly useful when narrowing a large field of options, their utility substantially diminishes when more detailed information is required. In many of these systems, more detailed information is simply not available unless significant programming and hardware changes are implemented to simulate more complex behavior.
On the other hand, several simulation systems are based on relatively complex sets of parameters, including behavior, which require a great deal of effort to accurately develop. While such systems are particularly useful to develop detailed information on a desired option, the utility of these systems substantially diminishes when less complex information is needed on a larger number of options.